I’m 77 years old, but I’ve never had to decide about abortion on a personal level. How another woman decides is not my business nor the Courts. Abortion is a personal decision, and I support Pro Choice. I’ll be voting Blue n Texas.
Abortion was not legalized until I was in college. Can't tell you how relieved I was to have that option, though I was lucky to never have to use it. We've taken body autonomy for granted, as well we should. Men have no one trying to control their health or reproductive freedom - women have always been in that situation. The anger is palpable. I hope it drives people to the polls, but it is not the only issue. It's not just women's healthcare on the line.
Hopefully this will turn our congress blue and keep biden in office. If the young people in my family are like others, then abortion is a big deal to them and they plan to vote accordingly
I’m going to have to pause and come back to this… it’s elevating my blood pressure. I’m very hopeful that this issue will indeed continue to work for progressives. I’ll absolutely be voting pro choice in Missouri. 💙
I don’t know about the rest of you but I am really tired of a bunch of old men with white/orange hair deciding what we can do with our bodies. It is none of their business!! They call themselves pro life but they are quite happy to let someone with mental health issues own a gun. And while I’m at it, I don’t notice any of them stepping up to provide funding for the healthcare for these women or their children. Nor do I hear them offering to adopt the babies. The whole thing disgusts me. VOTE BLUE!!
Another way to describe the entire situation— Be careful what you wish for— lest it come true. Let’s not also forget, 45th is a pathological liar. He will say and do anything to get elected and get rid of his legal troubles.
He has no interest in improving the lives of the American people.
He was also to bring a first class health care system- very inexpensive. What happened?
He was to build a wall, too- what happened? Journalists should ask him these questions. He is just good at dividing people and creating ruckus.
Excellent commentary Dan. I think that your last paragraph is the most important one - it is not just an abortion/anti-abortion issue, but a woman's right of choice/anti-choice that is at stake here. When a woman loses the right to make a decision about an outcome based on what is happening to her own body, with or without input from family and medical practitioners, then what is her status as a full blown citizen of this country? When a just formed zygote is more important to a living, breathing female, what becomes of that female. These ultra right extreme MAGA Republican lawmakers and judges, mostly males, are making the female population of this nation second class citizens. And their sights are now being set to stop the contraception that almost all women use to prevent pregnancy. This is not to be condoned nor accepted.
Do you honestly think Trump actually cares about abortion one way or the other? I don’t. He’s just using it as an issue to get the far right and Evangelical vote along with his “Bible” ! He’s as low as they come. All this talk is a phoney as they come. His hateful rhetoric about imigrants is pretty rich too when you consider his Trump grandfather, the last name wasn’t exactly Trump either. His Grandfather went AWOL from the German army and came here then tried to go back but he lost his German citizenship because of going AWOL! He went to Alaska when it was a territory and ran Brothels aka Whore Houses. He apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. He is no great Statesman and never will be. He’s unfit for office and it’s pathetic that the Republican Party has stupped so low.
So two Muslim countries are bringing back stoning women and another one is back to mutilation of female genitals. Guess that is the next crusade here in the good USA. Just like the Bible say, beat your slaves as much as you want but make sure then don't die since they are property.
As much as I would like to say, I cannot wait for this whole thing to blow up in their smug Marjorie Taylor Green faces, but, there's that undercurrent, of , well, we all went through it with Hillary and the 2016 results… abortion just might be that catalyst Dems need at the polls in November, but I’m still abit edgy… Dems and voters can be wishywashy and with all that is on the line, there is no place for wishywashy, Biden has to win…and win the house back and keep the Senate!… And Dan, you’ve gotta continue to run this tight , steady ship… we need you too as well… so thankful for your Steadyiness! … 🙏🏼🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🛳️
I am female and, although past reproductive age, I always thought of myself as a full human and a full citizen of this country. Until now. Are women full citizens? Not if the government controls our bodies. Are we full humans? Not if we are considered broodmares, and if a zygote is considered to have more rights that the "vessel" carrying it. I will not have someone else's religious beliefs determine my life.
As a Florida voter to get abortion on the ballot is huge and then add the legalization of recreational marijuana come November this state will not be purple, it will be solid blue. The kids will save this state!
So glad I subscribed to your content, Dan! You explain the issues of the day factually, clearly and succinctly. Good Lord, I've missed good journalism! I sure hope young people are paying attention...
I'm 75, and abortion rights remains one of my top issues because I remember my fear, even when married, of an unplanned pregnancy (and ALL birth-control methods are less than 100% effective) and my inability to be in charge of my own life. I want the sense of relief I felt when in 1973 the Supreme Court decided that abortion is a private decision, not a governmental one, to be permanent for all women of child-bearing age, never mind for a raped 10-year-old child forced to carry the rapist's embryo to term.
The idea that legislatures know better what’s best for We the People than We the People do is laughable. No, it’s not funny laughable. it’s a serious problem.
One of South Dakota’s state legislators made a specific point ( at a local legislative Cracker Barrel discussion) that we are not a democracy, we are a republic. She, being a Republican, was rather obviously setting the stats for more crazy MAGA mischief.
The first Republican president, when asked what was democracy, replied “a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.”
I’m 77 years old, but I’ve never had to decide about abortion on a personal level. How another woman decides is not my business nor the Courts. Abortion is a personal decision, and I support Pro Choice. I’ll be voting Blue n Texas.
Abortion was not legalized until I was in college. Can't tell you how relieved I was to have that option, though I was lucky to never have to use it. We've taken body autonomy for granted, as well we should. Men have no one trying to control their health or reproductive freedom - women have always been in that situation. The anger is palpable. I hope it drives people to the polls, but it is not the only issue. It's not just women's healthcare on the line.
Hopefully this will turn our congress blue and keep biden in office. If the young people in my family are like others, then abortion is a big deal to them and they plan to vote accordingly
I’m going to have to pause and come back to this… it’s elevating my blood pressure. I’m very hopeful that this issue will indeed continue to work for progressives. I’ll absolutely be voting pro choice in Missouri. 💙
I don’t know about the rest of you but I am really tired of a bunch of old men with white/orange hair deciding what we can do with our bodies. It is none of their business!! They call themselves pro life but they are quite happy to let someone with mental health issues own a gun. And while I’m at it, I don’t notice any of them stepping up to provide funding for the healthcare for these women or their children. Nor do I hear them offering to adopt the babies. The whole thing disgusts me. VOTE BLUE!!
Trump will have a PERFECT statement on abortion just as soon as Infrastructure Week is done.
Thank you, Dan. Great essay.
Another way to describe the entire situation— Be careful what you wish for— lest it come true. Let’s not also forget, 45th is a pathological liar. He will say and do anything to get elected and get rid of his legal troubles.
He has no interest in improving the lives of the American people.
He was also to bring a first class health care system- very inexpensive. What happened?
He was to build a wall, too- what happened? Journalists should ask him these questions. He is just good at dividing people and creating ruckus.
My two cents- Dan
Thank you
Excellent commentary Dan. I think that your last paragraph is the most important one - it is not just an abortion/anti-abortion issue, but a woman's right of choice/anti-choice that is at stake here. When a woman loses the right to make a decision about an outcome based on what is happening to her own body, with or without input from family and medical practitioners, then what is her status as a full blown citizen of this country? When a just formed zygote is more important to a living, breathing female, what becomes of that female. These ultra right extreme MAGA Republican lawmakers and judges, mostly males, are making the female population of this nation second class citizens. And their sights are now being set to stop the contraception that almost all women use to prevent pregnancy. This is not to be condoned nor accepted.
Do you honestly think Trump actually cares about abortion one way or the other? I don’t. He’s just using it as an issue to get the far right and Evangelical vote along with his “Bible” ! He’s as low as they come. All this talk is a phoney as they come. His hateful rhetoric about imigrants is pretty rich too when you consider his Trump grandfather, the last name wasn’t exactly Trump either. His Grandfather went AWOL from the German army and came here then tried to go back but he lost his German citizenship because of going AWOL! He went to Alaska when it was a territory and ran Brothels aka Whore Houses. He apple hasn’t fallen too far from the tree. He is no great Statesman and never will be. He’s unfit for office and it’s pathetic that the Republican Party has stupped so low.
So two Muslim countries are bringing back stoning women and another one is back to mutilation of female genitals. Guess that is the next crusade here in the good USA. Just like the Bible say, beat your slaves as much as you want but make sure then don't die since they are property.
As much as I would like to say, I cannot wait for this whole thing to blow up in their smug Marjorie Taylor Green faces, but, there's that undercurrent, of , well, we all went through it with Hillary and the 2016 results… abortion just might be that catalyst Dems need at the polls in November, but I’m still abit edgy… Dems and voters can be wishywashy and with all that is on the line, there is no place for wishywashy, Biden has to win…and win the house back and keep the Senate!… And Dan, you’ve gotta continue to run this tight , steady ship… we need you too as well… so thankful for your Steadyiness! … 🙏🏼🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🛳️
I am female and, although past reproductive age, I always thought of myself as a full human and a full citizen of this country. Until now. Are women full citizens? Not if the government controls our bodies. Are we full humans? Not if we are considered broodmares, and if a zygote is considered to have more rights that the "vessel" carrying it. I will not have someone else's religious beliefs determine my life.
As a Florida voter to get abortion on the ballot is huge and then add the legalization of recreational marijuana come November this state will not be purple, it will be solid blue. The kids will save this state!
So glad I subscribed to your content, Dan! You explain the issues of the day factually, clearly and succinctly. Good Lord, I've missed good journalism! I sure hope young people are paying attention...
I'm 75, and abortion rights remains one of my top issues because I remember my fear, even when married, of an unplanned pregnancy (and ALL birth-control methods are less than 100% effective) and my inability to be in charge of my own life. I want the sense of relief I felt when in 1973 the Supreme Court decided that abortion is a private decision, not a governmental one, to be permanent for all women of child-bearing age, never mind for a raped 10-year-old child forced to carry the rapist's embryo to term.
The idea that legislatures know better what’s best for We the People than We the People do is laughable. No, it’s not funny laughable. it’s a serious problem.
One of South Dakota’s state legislators made a specific point ( at a local legislative Cracker Barrel discussion) that we are not a democracy, we are a republic. She, being a Republican, was rather obviously setting the stats for more crazy MAGA mischief.
The first Republican president, when asked what was democracy, replied “a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.”